Impressive izakaya at The Bonsai

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Impressive izakaya at The Bonsai

Posted by Brigette Paterson in Company News on Wednesday, December 2009 | Permalink

Move over Spanish tapas, izakaya is the new way to go, and The Bonsai, recently opened in Northbridge, is the place to experience it. Small, share sized plates allow you to loose your tastebuds on a variety of dishes and the communal plate-sharing provides plenty of opportunity to dissect and discuss tastes and textures.

The Bonsai opened its doors in September after a year of planning and siteworks. Previously a rundown tin factory, the new restaurant has been built from the ground up — literally, with the former concrete foundation ripped up and a new pad laid down. It’s stunning. The high, warehouse-feel ceiling, exposed brick walls, plush banquette seating in the bar/café area and moody lighting create a beautiful interior space, with large glass panes affording views of the city lights.

Manager Sandi Lin has joined forces with brother Isaac to run The Bonsai and they do an amazing job. Isaac welcomes everyone like old friends, and happily dispenses advice about the menu. He and his wait staff unobtrusively ensure that water glasses are topped up, orders taken, wine dispensed and do their utmost to guarantee a pleasurable experience. The Bonsai provides top rate tablecloth service — without the tablecloths, which definitely wouldn’t be the look here!

Chef Hiroshi Sugihara grew up in Japan, and moved to Perth when he hit high school. His parents owned the perennially popular Sun Katsura in Claremont (now closed to make way for the new Claremont Quarter, to the dismay of many). True to tradition, neither of his parents liked to cook once they finished work, so Hiroshi assumed responsibility for the domestic cooking, and loved it. He travelled back to Kyoto after school to train further in the art of traditional Japanese cooking.

Hiroshi’s strong grounding in the fundamentals of Japanese cooking is evident in the dishes he creates. The menu features many ‘fusion’ dishes, which meld Western dining trends seamlessly with traditional Japanese.

We couldn’t contain ourselves and sampled a little bit of just about everything! We started with one of the day’s specials, South Australian oysters, which were amazing. My first foray into eel, with the hand rolled unagi sushi was a very pleasant experience. The agedashi tofu was deliciously light and subtle and extremely more-ish; there were chopstick battles over the last piece. The Ponzu Maguro on avocado (seared smoked tuna) is one of The Bonsai’s most popular dishes, and the flavours combine beautifully. The salmon sashimi bites, which comprised salmon tartar, mixed with ginger and dengaku (sweetened) miso on witlof leaves, were the standout for us. Divine.

The Bonsai has an in-house dessert chef, but our over-indulgence with the sushi and share plates left no room for dessert. Still, we couldn’t resist taking home a little green tea mousse to squeeze in later.

And the coffee? Outstanding. Isaac modestly claims that it’s all props to Jeremy at the WA Barista Academy for teaching him the tricks of the trade, but nothing that tastes this good comes without natural talent and dedication.

There’s been the usual Perth delay in granting The Bonsai’s liquor licence, but Sandi and Isaac believe it will only be a few months until approval comes through. Until then, it’s BYO, which means the gorgeous bar/café area is a little underutilised. It’s a beautiful spot for a sensational coffee.

The arrival of December sees The Bonsai opening for lunch from Tuesday to Friday, with dishes from $5.00 to $15.00. Until 11 December, The Bonsai is offering buy-one-get-one-free deal at lunch, so get on down there and otanoshimi kudasai (enjoy)!